A statue of St Isidore of Madrid is pictured. Pope Francis and the Vatican are preparing to mark the 400th anniversary of the joint canonisation ceremony of Sts Isidore, Teresa of Avila, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier and Philip Neri. Photo: CNS. The Vatican has hosted many massive and moving canonisation ceremonies over the centuries, but a rite held in 1622 continues to be commemorated by devotees and studied by scholars. At a ceremony in St Peter’s Basilica on March 12, 1622, Pope Gregory XV formally recognised the holiness of Sts Teresa of Avila, Ignatius of Loyola,…
